Community news
The Five Healthy Cities Good Work initiative inspired Chelsea Senior Center (CSC) to create a wellbeing initiative for its team members. After launching a new wellness program this year, CSC received a Bronze Award from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) for its comprehensive workplace program.
The MDHHS Michigan Healthy Worksite Award honors employers who use Design for Healthy Environments at Work (DHEW) tools and actively invest in well-being programs designed to improve the health of their workforce.
The first step to launching the new CSC program for 2024 was the appointment of team member Katie Garvey as a Work Well Ambassador in addition to her role as CSC Respite Care Coordinator. Using tools and resources provided by 5 Healthy Towns, Garvey surveyed CSC employees about their individual health habits and concerns for improving overall health. This assessment led Garvey to challenge the CSC team to a hydration challenge in February to increase water consumption during the workday.
With the goal of quarterly programs, Garvey then focused on providing the team with the opportunity to eat healthy and engage in fun physical activity together. In July, a CSC team member hosted a staff meeting to enjoy farm-fresh salad and share healthy, made-from-scratch salad dressings. Camaraderie in the kitchen was followed by a friendly game of badminton and tours around the flower gardens.
“I haven’t played badminton since I was a little kid,” said Jan Scarbrough, a bookkeeper at CSC. The call to her muscles for the sport was immediate. The lively game engaged the participants in the work and the team members encouraged them.
“Our wellness initiative is designed to encourage team members to create new routines or take a new approach to creating new healthy habits,” says Garvey. “We plan to continue implementing healthy and inclusive activities. Our next program is mental health training in collaboration with Chelsea Community Health Hospital.
Chelsea Senior Center is in good company with its Bronze award. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (gold), W.K. Kellogg Foundation (gold), Oakland County (silver), Jackson County Library (bronze), University of Michigan (honorable mention), and Food Bank of Eastern Michigan (honorable mention) are just a few Few of the many organizations leading wellness initiatives in 2024.
